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Their First Rocket Lasted 30 Seconds. The Second Reached Orbit.
On 5 September 2026, the German company Isar Aerospace became the first European company to put customer satellites into orbit on its own launcher. It was only the second flight of its rocket, Spectrum.
The spine
On 5 September 2026 the German company Isar Aerospace became the first European company to put customer satellites into orbit on its own launcher. It was only the second flight of its rocket Spectrum. The first, in March 2025, lasted about 30 seconds.
The payloads
Five CubeSats — from TU Berlin, the University of Maribor, EnduroSat, NTNU and the TU Wien Space Team — plus a technology demonstration from Dcubed.
The first attempt
- 30 March 2025. Spectrum's inaugural test flight was terminated after approximately 30 seconds.
- Investigation finding: an unintended vent valve opening and loss of attitude control during the roll manoeuvre. The flight safety system performed nominally.
How this was verified — the rest of the fact sheet
In their words
"We achieved within a few years what had taken the European space industry decades before." — Daniel Metzler, CEO, Isar Aerospace
Why it counts as a race
Europe has launched rockets for decades through state and consortium programmes. What it had not had was a private European company able to reach orbit on its own vehicle — the capability that reshaped the American launch market. This is the first time a European firm has done it from the continent.
The flight
- Mission: "Onward and Upward".
- Liftoff: 5 September 2026, 22:12 CEST, from Andøya Space, northern Norway.
- Vehicle: Spectrum — two stages, about 28 m tall.
- Crossed the Kármán line at 100 km, completed its circularization burn, achieved spacecraft separation.
- All customer payloads deployed in orbit.
- The first stage completed a controlled descent into the Norwegian Sea.
References
Reporting drawn from Isar Aerospace · Ars Technica
What the reel says
Narration as scripted and voiced.
A German company has become the first in Europe to put customer satellites into orbit on its own rocket. Its first attempt last year lasted about thirty seconds.
The company is Isar Aerospace. The rocket is called Spectrum. Two stages, about 28 meters tall
It lifted off on the 5th of September at 12 minutes past 10 at night from Andøya Space in northern Norway
The mission was called Onward and Upward. It crossed the Karman line at one hundred kilometers, completed its circularization burn, and separated its payloads
Every customer payload reached orbit. Five CubeSats from TU Berlin, the University of Maribor, EnduroSat, NTNU, and the TU Wien Space Team, plus a technology demonstration from Dcubed
The first stage came back down under control into the Norwegian Sea
Now go back to the 30th of March 2025. The first Spectrum flight was terminated after about 30 seconds. A vent valve opened when it should not have, and the rocket lost attitude control during its roll
The chief executive is Daniel Metzler. "We achieved within a few years," he said, "what had taken the European space industry decades before."
Europe has had rockets for decades. What it did not have was a private company of its own that could reach orbit. Since the 5th of September, it does
All footage is licensed stock. No footage of Spectrum, of Andøya, or of the launch.
